​All too often real estate agents are missing out on important personal or family time to work with clients. This doesn’t always happen because work needs to get done but because agents are not in control of the scheduling. Does this sound a bit like you?

Here is a quick run down of all that.

Start by blocking out your personal obligations and vowing not to move these appointments for anyone.

Next, block off any time that you want to keep free for fun stuff. If you are thinking about planning a vacation, now is the time to mark that off as well.

Before getting started on time blocking your work day, make sure you have a solid morning routine that allows you to do something for yourself each day. Personal care is a must so you can have a healthy mind and body heading into work.

Here are some items you will want to block off time for throughout your day:​

Mondays should be your day to recover from the weekend. It’s a good day to conduct a full review of your business and plan some customer calls.

Tuesday through Thursday is great for time blocking notes, paperwork, marketing activities and previewing homes for clients. Pick two of these days to pre-block off lunch for real estate reviews as well.

Fridays are perfect for phone calls because people are generally in a good mood and willing to chat a bit. Also use this day to get prepared for your weekend.

Make sure to keep your calendar in your control. Do not move your pre-blocked activities for anything unless it is a conflict that absolutely cannot be resolved. Be sure to suggest times for meetings with clients so you can fit appointments into open spaces on your calendar.

Now that you have control of your calendar, you will be able to employ even more time-saving techniques to help increase your income per hour.

​Matt Bonelli is a manager and broker associate for Turpin Realtors’ Chatham office in Chatham, New Jersey. You can follow him on Twitter or learn more about him on LinkedIn.